Statewide voucher school enrollment more than doubles

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Statewide voucher school enrollment more than doubles

MADISON — Enrollment in Wisconsin’s statewide private school voucher program has more than doubled since enrollment caps were lifted.

The state Department of Public Instruction on Tuesday reported that 2,514 students were enrolled in a voucher school for the current year. That is up from 1,008 students last year when the cap was in place.

Of the new students, 75 percent had attended a private school the previous year before taking the taxpayer-funded subsidy to continue their private school education. Only 19 percent of new voucher school enrollees came from a public school.

The vouchers are worth $7,214 a year to students through grade eight, and $7,860 for high schoolers.

The total cost for the statewide program this school year was $18.3 million.